3/16/2023 0 Comments Ashrei transliteration![]() ![]() Stanza IV adduces cases of the mercies of God mentioned in stanza II, as signs of God’s divine reign. “and of the power of your awesome deeds” ( ve-azuz norotekha),ĥ. “and Your wondrous things” ( ve-divre nifla’otekha),Ĥ. “and Your might acts” ( u-gevuratekha),ģ. All the salient terms indicate divine strength and majesty such as “great,” “might,” “glorious,” “splendor,” “power.” This indication is intensified by the compounding of the following terms for such greatness:Ģ. Thus the theme of sovereignty, intimated in stanza I through expressions of divine grandeur, is made graphic in stanza III. ![]() What is implicit in stanzas I and II becomes explicit in III and IV. Stanzas III (lines 11-13) and IV (lines 14-20) serve to advance the thesis of stanzas I and II through specification and concretization as in much of biblical parallelism. Indeed, the juxtaposition of the two intimates what is made explicit in the next stanza, namely, that God’s goodness is an expression of His greatness. By opening and closing with “great” and “good” the two stanzas converge to make the point that praise is generated by appreciating the link between divine greatness and goodness. Line 7 celebrates God’s abundant goodness as line 9 proclaims that God is good to all. Stanza II forms a triad on God’s goodness. Line 3 opens with great/greatness as line 6 concludes with greatness. Stanza I forms a quatrain on the subject of God’s greatness. The drive toward inclusiveness is reinforced by the envelope structure. By having the end formally echo the beginning, the Psalm paves the way from the “I bless” of the prelude to the “all flesh shall bless” of the postlude both “forever and ever.” God’s Greatness The prelude starts: “I bless Your name forever” the interlude continues: “Your faithful ones bless you” whereas the postlude climaxes: “all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever.” Each stage is marked by the word “bless,” which crops up strategically in the second colon of lines 1, 10, and 21, the three lines that serve as prelude, interlude, and postlude. Psalm 145 has its message of divine sovereignty broadcast in three stages to successively broader circles. The Psalm’s theme of divine sovereignty is announced in the first line through the words, “my God the king.” Although there are other Psalms that proclaim “my king and my God,” only Psalm 145:1 uses the definite article for the apparent purpose of underscoring the exclusivity of divine rule. The translation I have done reflects Ashre’s structure as well as its internal connections, while adhering closely to the Hebrew order and choice of terms. This liturgical piece is presented below in a manner that renders transparent its internal dynamic. The added Psalm verses, which are prefixed and suffixed to Psalm 145, are designated prologue and epilogue. Psalm 145 itself is designated the body.Ĭomprised of 21 verses, the Psalm consists of four stanzas, introduced by a prelude, intersected by an interlude, and concluded with a postlude, which may be diagrammed as follows: No Psalm is better known or recited more frequently than Psalm 145, known by its liturgical title Ashre. Since Gaonic times it has been recited thrice daily–twice in the morning service introducing sections of the service, and once as a prelude to the afternoon service. Despite its frequency, its meaning has eluded most readers, who fail to understand its rhetorical structure. By laying bare the relationship between form and content, theme and structure, we are able to see how its rhetorical structure advances its program for the extension of divine sovereignty. C.My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate Published on Torah Blessings (cantillation arr. Published on Haftarah Blessings (Cantillation arr. Published on Aleinu (Sulzer / Traditional) Published on Shalom Rav (Jeff Klepper & Dan Freelander) Published on Yih'yu L'ratzon (Josh Nelson) Cantor Laura Breznick’s tracks Sh'ma Koleinu (Max Helfman) Once you are on the individual pages, please click the "play" button to hear the audio recording. TO VIEW THE WORDS in Hebrew, transliteration, and English translation, please click on the individual titles and scroll to the middle of the page. ![]()
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